Materials handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for handling flowable material, e.g., an intermediate bulk container or IBC, comprises an aperture in the form of an outlet having a closure device in the form of a discharge valve movable between a position to obturate the outlet and a position to allow flow of material through the outlet, and an integral member which is adapted to secure the valve in the obturated position. The integral member is in the form of relatively rigid annular lock or lock ring mounted between the body and a probe. This integral member is thus positioned radially inwardly of the body and has an outer peripheral surface with a step configuration complementary to that of the body.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to materials handling apparatus, such as bins,silos or IBC's (intermediate bulk containers) which hold, transport andtransfer flowable material, in particular particulates such as powders,granules, pellets, grains, pulverulent material and the like.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Such materials are transferred from say an intermediate bulk container,or IBC, at a discharge station where a valve which normally closes anoutlet of the IBC is actuated to open the outlet for flow therethroughof the material in a desired amount.

Typically, the IBC is set down on a discharge station where a probethereof rises to raise the valve, usually a cone discharge valve toprovide an annular opening at the outlet through which the materialpasses. It is extremely important that the material, which can bedangerous to the environment, does not escape, and to this end the valveneeds to be secured in place during obturation of the outlet.

Hitherto separate transport caps have been used to lock the valve inplace, but they are a relatively expensive separate item which canbecome damaged, lost or generally ineffective.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to seek to mitigate thesedisadvantages.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided apparatusfor handling flowable particulate material, comprising an aperturehaving a closure device movable between a position to obturate theaperture and a position to allow flow of material therethrough, and anintegral member which is adapted to secure the device in the obturatedposition.

The aperture may be an outlet of the apparatus and the closure devicemay be a discharge valve. This provides for a relatively simpleconstruction, which may be enhanced when there may be an annularflexible seal carried by the device, and the member may be additionallyadapted to urge the seal against the outlet to effect securing of thevalve in the outlet.

The member may comprise a relatively rigid annular member mountedunderneath the valve.

The member may be readily inwardly of the seal and may have a part toengage the seal against the outlet.

The part may comprise a free boundary edge part of the member.

The seal may comprise a substantially rigid retaining body and the bodyand member may be relatively slidable to effect securing in theobturated position.

There may be means to limit the respective slidable motion, which meansin a preferred construction may comprise complementary stepped parts ofeach of the body and member.

The member may comprise a ring of relatively rigid polyethylene.

There may be additional means to retain the member below the valve.

The retaining means may comprise a spider, in one embodiment.

The aperture may be an inlet of the apparatus and the closure device maybe a lid of the apparatus.

The member may be housed in a rebate of a seal

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided amaterials handling system, comprising apparatus as hereinbefore defined,and a station for charging or discharging of material through theoutlet.

The station may comprise a discharge station and means to move theintegral member to secure the closure device in the obturated position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Apparatus embodying the invention is hereinafter described, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of part a firstembodiment of apparatus for handling flowable material according to theinvention in a first operative position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the apparatus in a secondoperative position;

FIG. 3 is to an enlarged schematic longitudinal sectional view a part ofa second embodiment of apparatus for handling flowable materialaccording to the invention in a first operative position; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of the apparatus in a secondoperative position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, there is shown apparatus 1 for handlingflowable material, in the embodiment an intermediate bulk container orIBC 2, comprising an aperture in the form of an outlet 3 having aclosure device in the form of a discharge valve 4 movable between aposition to obturate the outlet 3 and a position to allow flow ofmaterial through the outlet, and an integral member 5 which is adaptedto secure the valve 4 in the obturated position (FIG. 2).

The outlet 3 is a convergent or hopper outlet having an out-turned orflared peripheral lip or part 6 which in use is a downwardly directedpart. The valve 4 is a conical discharge valve which in the position toobturate the outlet rests with its peripheral boundary edge 7 on theinner surface as viewed of the outlet hopper 23. In order to sealagainst undesired flow of material and to protect ambient atmospherefrom possible contamination by that material, there is an annular seal 8which is carried by the core valve 4, being supported by a relativelyrigid retaining body 9 which is secured to, and depends from, theunderside of the cone valve. The seal 8 is of a suitable polymericmaterial and is attached to the body 9. An entrapped air gap 10 enhancessealability and a strengthening member 11 serves to maintain the correctprofile of the seal 8. The seal 8 has a free, and flexible, dependingannular part 12 which has a surface 13 which can lie against the innersurface of the outwardly flared lip 6 of the outlet.

The body 9 has a stepped part, in the form of a sloping shoulder 14 partlinking two laterally offset straight parts 14′, 14″.

There is a probe 15 at a discharge station 16, the integral member 5being in the form of a relatively rigid annular lock or lock ringmounted between the body 9 and the probe. This integral member 5 is thuspositioned radially inwardly of the body 9, and has an outer peripheralsurface with a stepped configuration complementary to that of the body.Thus the lock ring has two laterally displaced straight surfaces 17′ and17″ linked by a sloping shoulder 17 to provide the steppedconfiguration. The integral lock ring 5 which is in the embodiment madeof relatively rigid polyethylene has an inclined part 17′″ which isgenerally parallel to the slope of the cone valve 4 and roof of theprobe 15.

The integral lock ring 5 is maintained within the cone valve and underthe sloping or conical (or frusto-conical) roof by the inherentresilience of the material.

Whilst being integral, the lock ring 5 is nevertheless free to movebetween the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 positions. In a first, unlocked, operativeposition, FIG. 1, the lock ring 5 is raised into contact with the conevalve 4 by the probe 15. In a second, operative locked condition, FIG.2, the lock ring 5 is attached to the probe 15 by means (not shown) andas the probe 15 is lowered, it takes the lock ring 5 down with it, untilsloping shoulder 17 is in contact with the sloping shoulder 14. The nose18 forces the ring 12 clockwise as viewed to seal with its surface 13against the peripheral lip 6 of the hopper.

The IBC and the station 16 comprises a discharge system.

In order to discharge material from the IBC through the outlet 3, thenit is transported to the discharge station 16 and set down thereon,there being at the station the probe 15 which is raised to contact thecone valve 4 and raise it so that its peripheral edge is raised off thehopper to open an annular flow path round the edge through whichmaterial can flow.

The IBC arrives at the station with the cone valve in the lockedposition (FIG. 2). In this case a depending nose 18 of the lock ring 5is in engagement with the free enlarged annular ring 12 of the seal 8and forces it into sealing engagement with the flared outlet 6. As theprobe rises, the lock ring 5 slides upwardly relatively to the body 9,so that the ring 12 under its own resilience springs to the right,anti-clockwise as viewed, to engage on and seal against the probe 15 sothat on continuous lifting to open a flow path, the probe is sealedagainst contamination.

During this action the lock ring 5 is raised by the probe so that itslides upwardly over the body 9 to the FIG. 1 position therebydisengaging the complementary locked shoulder parts 14, 17. On continuedlifting of the probe 15 beyond the FIG. 1 position, the cone valve 4 canbe raised thereby to open the annular flow path, the ring 12 preventingcontamination of the surfaces of the probe thereabove by the material asit exits.

After discharge, the FIG. 2 position is resumed by a device, not shown,which “grabs” the ring 5 and draws it down to the locked position shown,the probe 15 being retracted too to lower the cone valve 4 to obturatethe outlet once more.

In an alternative, not shown, the integral lock ring 5 may also beretained in position within the cone valve by a retainer device such asan annular spider.

The integral lock ring is within the apparatus, below the slopingconical (or frusto-conical) part thereof at an outlet, and in the lockedposition retains the cone valve firmly in position and preventsdislodgement thereof.

It will be understood that although a discharge outlet has been referredto and described in the description relating to the drawings, theinvention is equally applicable to an inlet for material to a containersuch as an IBC. Such an apparatus 100 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, whichboth show a lid 101 situated at an inlet 111 to an IBC, line X—X beingthe central axis thereof. There is an integral annular member 102 whichis received in a recess or rebate 103 in an annular flexible, suitablyelastomeric, seal or lock 104 which has on a face opposite the face withthe rebate or recess, a notch or annular groove 105 of generallycomplementary configuration to a peripheral nose or lip 106 of the lid101. In the first, unlocked, operative position, FIG. 3, the integralmember 102 is at the bottom of the rebate 103 and a deflector device 107engages the seal to deflect the seal 104 on complementary surfaces 108,109 outwardly at a part 110 so releasing the nose 106 of the lid 101from the annular groove 105. The lid 101 can now be raised to open aflow path for material into the IBC. In the second, locked, operativeposition, FIG. 4, the deflector device 107 has retracted upwardly asviewed, so the seal 104 flexes clockwise as viewed under its naturalresilience, and the integral member 102 moves up the rebate 103, asviewed, to force the seal part 110 to the right as viewed so that thenose 106 is firmly held in the groove 105.

In all embodiments the locking member 5, 102 is an integral part of theapparatus, and is applicable to both inlets and outlets. The cone valveor lid can then be externally secured.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for handling flowable particulatematerial, comprising an aperture having a closure device movable betweena position to obturate the aperture and a position to allow flow ofmaterial therethrough, and an integral member which is adapted to securethe closure device in the obturated position, the closure devicecomprising a valve having an annular flexible seal and a substantiallyrigid retaining body, the integral member comprising a relatively rigidannular member slidably mounted inwardly of the flexible seal such thatit is slidable relative to the retaining body, the integral memberfurther comprising a free boundary edge part adapted to urge theflexible seal against the aperture to effect securing of the valve inthe aperture when the integral member is in a closed position. 2.Apparatus according to claim 1, the aperture being an outlet of theapparatus and the closure device being a discharge valve.
 3. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising limit means for limitingrelative slidable movement of the retaining body and the integralmember.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 the limit means comprisingcomplementary stepped parts of each of the retaining body and theintegral member.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, the integral membercomprising a ring of relatively rigid polyethylene.
 6. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising retaining means to retain theintegral member below the discharge valve.
 7. Apparatus according toclaim 6, the retaining means comprising a spider.
 8. Apparatus accordingto claim 1, the aperture being an inlet of the apparatus and the closuredevice being a lid of the apparatus.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8,the integral member being housed in a rebate of a seal.
 10. A materialshandling system, comprising the apparatus according to claim 1, and astation for charging or discharging of material through the aperture.11. A system according to claim 10, the station comprising a dischargestation and means to move the integral member to secure the closuredevice in the obturated position.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the free boundary edge part is further adapted to release theflexible seal away from the aperture when the integral member is in anopen position, such that the closure device may be lifted through theaperture to allow the material to flow through the aperture.